


Mercutio et Juliette

by being_alive



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare, Romeo e Giulietta - Ama e Cambia il Mondo, Romeo et Juliette - Presgurvic, Rómeó és Júlia (Színház)
Genre: AU, F/M, Infidelity, POV Third Person, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 06:02:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12524644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/being_alive/pseuds/being_alive
Summary: "I'm about as drunk as you are and I do know what I'm doing. If Roméo can take mistresses, why can't I?"Mercutio laughs at that. "You want me to be your mistress?"Juliette smiles and says, "You do have the hair for it."Mercutio doesn't even bother to deny that so Juliette continues, "I'm his wife and you're one of his closest friends. What better way to get back at him for all he's done to us than this?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in the works for a long time (since January 2, 2017), and I hope whoever reads it enjoys it!

Mercutio can remember the last time he was here, remember the thrill of sneaking Roméo and Benvolio into the Capulets' ball, the fear of being caught by the Capulets only enhancing the thrill. Now, that thrill is gone and there's no need to sneak anyone into anything because Roméo married a Capulet. He walks through the doors and looks around. Nothing has changed in a year except for the people inside. 

His uncle is talking with Lady Montague and Lord Capulet. Benvolio and Roméo are both dancing, Benvolio with the Capulet nurse and Roméo with a Capulet girl who is not Juliette. Mercutio raises an eyebrow, unsurprised yet also trying to ignore the slight twinge of hurt he still feels at the sight of Roméo with someone else, and grabs a glass of wine from a man passing by before looking around for Juliette. He finds her in the back of the room and makes his way towards her.

Juliette looks at him as he stops beside her and takes a drink of wine. 

"Mercutio?"

He can't ever remember talking to her more than a handful of times, but he's bored already and she looks like she needs company. He knows he would if he were her. He greets her with a smile and says, "Juliette. Enjoying the party?"

She scowls and grabs the wine glass from his hand and downs half of it in one gulp before handing it back to him. She glares out at the dance floor, at Roméo and the tall blonde he's dancing with. She looks back at him, and says, "I would be enjoying it if not for the fact that my husband decided to find his newest lover at our anniversary party."

Juliette crosses her arms and clears her throat before singing, "To love, what is grander?"

She laughs, loud and harsh and he takes another drink of his wine.

Juliette shakes her head and says, "Nothing, apparently. Except it wasn't our love that was grand to him."

He gulps down the remaining wine and pretends not to know how she feels.

"Isn't that Tybalt's woman he's dancing with?" Mercutio asks, pushing those thoughts from his mind. 

Juliette nods. "One of them, anyway."

He looks at his empty glass and shrugs before grabbing a bottle from a nearby table and refilling the glass.

"Where's Tybalt? I don't think he'd be happy about that."

Juliette points to the stairs. "He got too drunk and my mother took him upstairs so that he could rest."

Mercutio nods and takes a drink from his glass. He and Juliette watch as Roméo goes upstairs with Tybalt's woman before Juliette suddenly sinks to the floor, sobbing.

"I wish I'd never married him. How could I have been so stupid?"

Mercutio crouches next to her and pats her shoulder awkwardly.

"Your marriage to him brought peace to the city, at least."

Juliette laughs and looks at him. "I thought you liked the fighting."

He shrugs. "I'm just trying to be positive here."

He moves from crouching beside her to sitting next to her and neither of them say anything for a few minutes before Juliette asks, "Mercutio?"

"Hm?"

"What did you think of him marrying me?"

"I was angry," he admits.

"Because I'm a Capulet," Juliette says.

He shakes his head and continues, "No. I was angry because I loved him. I could deal with him going after a different girl every week, because I thought maybe, just maybe he'd stop and change his mind and see that women aren't the only option. But him marrying you seemed more permanent, like he was forever off-limits to me."

He laughs and buries his head in his hands.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all of this. Usually I have to be all the way drunk before I start spilling my feelings."

Mercutio drains the rest of his glass before reaching up and grabbing the entire bottle of wine and setting it between his body and Juliette's. She grabs it and takes a large drink before setting it back down and looking at him.

"At least Roméo never told you that he loved you, married you, and then had another woman in your bed in less than a month."

He nods, conceding that, before taking a drink from the bottle and saying, "But I did have to see him with woman after woman, all the while knowing he would never even glance at me with desire in his eyes."

Juliette lays one of her small hands on top of one of his bigger ones and says, "I'm sorry."

He sighs and says, "It's no matter. And Juliette, I know him well enough to know that he probably did love you, if that's any consolation. I've seen him fall madly in love what must be a thousand times and each time, but he never wanted to marry anyone but you."

Juliette grabs the bottle of wine and takes and takes a large drink before looking at him, thoughtful.

"Did you ever tell Roméo how you feel about him?"

Mercutio laughs and takes the bottle from her, drinking until the bottle is almost empty, before answering, "It's funny. I was brave enough to fight any Capulet I saw, but when it came to Roméo, I could never tell him. I almost did once, but then I lost my nerve."

Now Juliette is the one awkwardly patting his shoulder and he's laughing harder than he was before and he doesn't even know why. He briefly stands up to grab another bottle of wine because Juliette is finishing up the first one. When he sits back down, Juliette has her gaze trained on the stairs. He follows it and watches Roméo as he descends the stairs, a smile on his face and his clothes rumpled, Tybalt's woman behind him. Mercutio looks at Juliette. She looks like she's about to start crying again and he's tipsy enough that he'd probably start crying with her, so he taps her arm. She looks at him and he asks, "How about you show me around the garden?"

Juliette looks confused so he adds, "I know neither of us want to see him with someone else."

Juliette nods, understanding, so he stands up before helping her up. She's a bit unsteady on her feet so he links arms with her and holds the bottle of wine under his other arm as they walk to the garden. The two of them walk arm-in-arm past countless bright red flowers until they reach a bench under a large tree. 

Mercutio unlinks his arm from hers and sits down, opening the bottle of wine. Juliette picks a flower from one of the nearby bushes and sits down. He jumps slightly when she reaches up and tucks the flower behind his ear.

Juliette laughs and says, "It's just a flower, Mercutio."

He takes a swig of the wine and smiles at her. "You can never be too sure whether you're being given a flower or a dagger when it comes to you Capulets."

Juliette takes the bottle from him and takes a drink.

"You're on to me. Tybalt is hiding in the bushes and handed he told me to stab you with a flower," Juliette exclaims, looking at him with wide eyes.

"I knew it!" Mercutio exclaims and both he and Juliette start laughing. Mercutio isn't sure how long they laugh, but when the laughter finally dies down, his stomach muscles hurt and Juliette is wiping away tears. He picks up the wine bottle from the bench and takes a large drink before handing it to Juliette. She takes an equally large drink and sets the bottle back on the bench. 

He looks around, almost blinded by the amount of red in the garden. "Where did your gardener even find so many red flowers?"

Juliette shrugs. "All I know is that my mother wanted them so my father had the gardener get them."

They sit in silence for a few minutes before Juliette speaks up, "Thank you for suggesting we come out here."

Mercutio stretches and says, "I know how much seeing him with other people hurts."

Juliette looks at him, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You said you were in love with him?"

Mercutio nods. "What about it?"

"Have you ever been in love with anyone else? I never have and I wish I had been. Maybe then his betrayals wouldn't hurt so much."

Mercutio thinks for a moment before replying, "They would still hurt, believe me. And I have been in love before. There was a boy when I was younger and then a girl before I realized I loved Roméo."

Juliette raises her eyebrows in surprise. "A girl? So it's not just men for you?"

Mercutio shakes his head and smiles. "I've always hated limiting myself to just one of anything."

Juliette frowns and states, "So does Roméo, apparently."

Mercutio crosses his arms and looks at her. "Only in different ways."

They're back to silence after that. Mercutio looks up at the slowly darkening sky as Juliette drinks some of the wine before taking a deep breath and asking, "Mercutio?"

He looks back at her. "Juliette?"

She takes another swig of wine before suddenly pressing her lips to his. His eyes widen in surprise and it takes him a moment to pull away.

"Juliette, what're you doing?"

"Trying to kiss you," she answers before leaning back towards him. He grabs her by the shoulders and holds her away.

"You're drunk and don't know what you're doing."

"I'm about as drunk as you are and I do know what I'm doing. If Roméo can take mistresses, why can't I?"

Mercutio laughs at that. "You want me to be your mistress?"

Juliette smiles and says, "You do have the hair for it."

Mercutio doesn't even bother to deny that so Juliette continues, "I'm his wife and you're one of his closest friends. What better way to get back at him for all he's done to us than this?"

"You could always have the marriage annulled," Mercutio points out. 

"If I did, the feud would start back up, possibly even worse than before."

Mercutio sighs and drops his hands. "You do have a point there. But why me?"

Juliette stands up and says, "Like I said before, you're one of his closest friends and you know what it feels like to be hurt by him."

Mercutio sighs again but says nothing.

Juliette nods slightly and turns to go back inside. "I suppose I could always see if your cousin is willing. He did want to marry me, you know."

Mercutio stands up. "I never said I was unwilling."

Juliette smiles and tries to kiss him again but he turns away.

"Juliette, do you still love him?"

Juliette frowns. "Yes. Do you?"

"Yes," Mercutio admits, sighing once again before kissing her.

Juliette wraps her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. He presses as close to her as he can and just kisses her, his hands resting on her hips. Mercutio isn't sure how long they kiss before Juliette pulls away. Her face is flushed and her pupils are dilated and he's sure he looks the same.

"We should probably be heading back inside," Juliette says.

Mercutio nods and inhales deeply. "We've already been out here for a while. Any longer and it'd look suspicious."

Juliette picks up the bottle of wine and hands it to him. "You already spend so much time around the Montagues that you practically live with them, so no one should ask any questions if you're there tonight, should they?"

Mercutio shakes his head. "They shouldn't. What time do you want me there?"

Juliette thinks for a moment before replying, "Midnight. I'll meet you in the spare bedroom at the end of the hallway around midnight."

Mercutio kisses her again, quickly, and nods. "I'll be there."

They start to walk back inside, back to the party, when something occurs to Mercutio. He stops mid-step and nearly falls to the ground in an effort not to stumble. Juliette looks at him. 

"Mercutio? Is everything all right?"

He looks back at her. "Roméo is bound to notice if you have a child that doesn't resemble him."

Juliette scowls. "Like he probably doesn't have bastards scattered throughout Verona."

Mercutio laughs. "You do have a point there."

Juliette kisses him again before saying, "While Roméo no longer seems to love me, I think he still respects me enough to accept his wife's children as his own, though hopefully the issue of children won't arise for a while."

Mercutio nods and they continue walking inside. Roméo is dancing with a different woman than the one he was before but this time, Mercutio and Juliette simply share a knowing look.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliette lays awake in bed next to Roméo, waiting for midnight. Just when she's sure Roméo has fallen asleep, he's pressing himself against her and running his hand up one of her legs, pushing up her nightgown as he goes. She places her hand over his right when he's dangerously close to her hip and says, "Not tonight, Roméo."

Juliette lays awake in bed next to Roméo, waiting for midnight. Just when she's sure Roméo has fallen asleep, he's pressing himself against her and running his hand up one of her legs, pushing up her nightgown as he goes. She places her hand over his right when he's dangerously close to her hip and says, "Not tonight, Roméo."

He moves her hair out of the way and places a kiss to the back of her neck before saying, "Why not?"

_Because you've already been with my cousin's lover today_ , she thinks.

"Because I think I had too much to drink at the party earlier and I feel queasy," she says.

"Maybe tomorrow, then," Roméo says, disappointment clear in his voice before rolling onto his back. Just when Juliette thinks he has fallen asleep and is about to get out of bed, Roméo speaks up again, saying, "I can't believe we've been married for a year already. It's just incredible, Juliette."

"It really is unbelievable," Juliette says in return before sliding out from under the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed to slide on her slippers. Roméo sits up and looks at her. She looks back over her shoulder at him and says, "I think I'm going to take a walk in the gardens. Perhaps the fresh air might help me feel better."

"Would you like for me to join you?" Roméo asks. Juliette shakes her head and says, "Just sleep, Roméo. I shouldn't be long." 

He nods and lays back down. She stands up and pulls on her robe and walks to the door. "I love you," Roméo calls after her. Juliette freezes, halfway through the door and replies, "I love you too, Roméo."  
S  
he closes the door behind her and ignores the feeling of guilt settling in her mind as she walks down the hallway. Roméo doesn't feel guilty about taking mistresses, so why should she? She thinks, looking around to make sure no one else is around before opening the door of the room at the end of the hallway. Juliette steps inside and closes the door behind her before looking around the room. Every candle in the room has a flame burning on its top, Mercutio's long jacket is slung over the back of one of the chairs, his boots are on the floor in front of the chair, and Mercutio himself is lounging on the bed. He sits up when he sees her looking at him and asks, "Enjoying the view?"

Juliette giggles and says, "It's preferable to the one I left behind in my bed."

"What, don't you think I'm pretty?" Mercutio asks, dramatically falling back into the bed. Juliette pulls off her robe, setting it on the chair with his jacket, and kicks off her slippers before she sits down on the bed, laughing. When she stops laughing, she looks at him, really looks at him. He is very handsome, she admits to herself, and wonders why she didn't notice that until he had come up to her at hers and Roméo's anniversary party. 

"Yes, I do think you're pretty," Juliette admits, blushing. Mercutio sits up and smiles, his hazel eyes meeting her brown ones. He reaches out and brushes her cheek with the back of his hand and says, "However, I do believe that you are far prettier than I."

Juliette looks down at her hands, neatly folded in her lap, knowing that her already present blush has probably worsened. She's not sure why she's blushing. Roméo has called her pretty a thousand times by now and she hasn't blushed since the first days of their marriage. Perhaps it's because he's not Roméo, she thinks.

"Now you're just trying to flatter me," Juliette says.

"Is it working?" Mercutio asks with a smile.

Juliette looks up at him and says, also smiling, "Perhaps." 

Mercutio kisses her then and she wraps her arms around his neck. She lays back and pulls him with her so that he's laying on top of her. He runs his hand up her leg and she doesn't stop him, just continues kissing him. There's a small voice in the back of her head telling her that she shouldn't be doing this, but she ignores it as his hand travels under her nightgown and up to the spot between her legs that only she and Roméo have touched before. She pulls away from his kiss and buries her face in his shoulder as he rubs her clit with his thumb before sliding one of his fingers into her. She moans against him, digging her fingers into him through the fabric of his shirt. 

He kisses her hair as he moves his finger in and out of her, continuing to rub her in sync with his finger. All too soon, he's pulling his hand away from her, out of her, and her moans of pleasure turn to one of disappointment. Mercutio wipes his hand on his pants before rolling off of her and sitting up. Juliette sits up as well and looks at him in confusion. He runs his fingers along the edge of her nightgown and says, "I think you should take this off."

Juliette nods and gets off the bed. She can hear him doing the same. Pushing down the nerves that are rising again, she grabs her nightgown by its hem and pulls it off, over her head. She had made sure to not wear anything under it for tonight, so she simply turns around.

Mercutio is staring at her, eyes wide and mouth open, hair wild around his face and holding his shirt in his hands. She covers her breasts with her arms, suddenly self-conscious as she asks, "What is it?"

"You're beautiful," he replies.

Juliette smiles and says, "Now you're really trying to flatter me."

Mercutio drops his shirt and walks around the bed, stopping in front of her. 

"No," he says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "It's the truth." 

Juliette knows she's blushing as he kisses leans down and kisses her, but finds she doesn't care about that as she wraps her arms around him and tangles her fingers in his hair. He presses closer to her, until her breasts are pressed against his chest and she can feel the outline of his erection pressing against her stomach through the material of his pants. She untangles one of her hands from his hair and trails it down his back. She grabs his ass and he jumps slightly, breaking away from the kiss to look at her, one eyebrow raised.

Juliette simply smiles and says, "I think you're just a bit overdressed."

She lays down on the bed and watches as he pulls his pants down his legs and steps out of them. He turns and looks at her, unashamed of his nudity as he asks, “Now, do you like what you see?”

"Perhaps," she replies, letting her gaze wander from his face, down his torso, and to his cock. His cock doesn't look quite as long as Roméo's, but it does look thicker, and she likes the way it proudly juts out from his body. 

"My eyes are up here," Mercutio jokes, pointing at his face. Juliette looks back up at his face and says, "I know."

Mercutio makes no move to join her on the bed, so she raises an eyebrow and asks, "What're you waiting for, Mercutio?"

"Are you sure about this, Juliette? If you change your mind and want to go back to Roméo, I'll let you." 

"I'm sure," Juliette answers before asking, "Are you?"

"God, yes," Mercutio says, finally joining her on the bed. He crawls on top of her and kisses her and she kisses him back, hard. She can feel his cock pressing into her so reaches down and wraps one of her hands around him, and strokes him once. Mercutio moans into her mouth and pulls back from the kiss before saying, "Don't tease me like that, Juliette."

"Like what?" She asks innocently, stroking his cock again. He thrusts into her hand, kissing down her neck and to the tops of her breasts. He kisses down one of her breasts and takes her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it until it's hard before pulling away and doing the same to her other breast. She moans, desire pounding between her legs and he covers her mouth with one hand.

"As lovely as your moans are, you're going to have to be quieter," he tells her. Juliette nods and he removes his hand. She strokes his cock again and he has to bury his face in her shoulder to stifle the sound of his moan. She pulls her hand away from his cock and kisses him again. Once again, he pulls away from the kiss first and says, "You know, you have very nice breasts, for a Capulet."

"Has anyone ever told you how romantic you are?" Juliette says, laughing. 

"A few people," he says, and her laughter is cut short by the feeling of him slowly filling her with his cock. She tangles her fingers in his hair and kisses him to keep from moaning too loudly. He starts off thrusting slowly at first before increasing his pace. She wraps her legs around his waist and digs her nails into the skin of his back, pleasure slowly growing inside of her. He slides one of his hands down between their bodies to rub her clit and she bites down on his shoulder to keep from moaning too loudly. Between his fast-paced thrusts and his fingers rubbing her, her orgasm overtakes her with so much force that she nearly screams against his skin.

"Oh, God, Juliette," Mercutio groans out, pulling out of her and stroking himself until he spills out his orgasm onto her stomach before collapsing on top of her, panting. Juliette lets him lay there for a few moments before shoving at him and saying, "Move, Mercutio. You're much heavier than you look."

He rolls off of her and lays beside her. She sits up and looks at him. His hair is even wilder than normal, his face is flushed, his body is covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she can see the bite mark she left on his shoulder showing bright red.

"I'm sorry about that," she says, reaching out and running a finger across the mark.

"Don't worry. I like it," Mercutio tells her, reaching up to touch the mark, before sitting up and getting off of the bed. She watches as he pulls his pants back on before picking up his shirt and wiping the remnants of his orgasm off that had transferred onto him when he had lain on her. 

"I have more shirts," he says when he notices her questioning look before holding out the shirt to her. She nods and takes it before using it to wipe herself off. Juliette sets the shirt down on the bed before getting off of the bed too. She looks around for her nightgown before finding it, pulling it back on, and sliding her slippers back on.

"How often do you want to do this?" Mercutio asks her and she looks at him. He's sitting in the chair, lacing up his boots.

_Every night_ , she thinks, admiring his still shirtless body.

"A few nights a week? Any more and Roméo will get suspicious," she replies. He finishes with his boots and stands up, holding out her robe to her. She takes it, puts it back on, and kisses him. He kisses her back, his tongue brushing against hers. She pulls back first and before she even has time to think why she's doing it, hugs him. He wraps his arms around her in return, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"You should go back to Roméo before he gets worried," he says. She reluctantly separates from him and walks to the door.

"See you in a couple of days, Mercutio. Well, I'm sure I'll see you before then, but you know what I mean," she says, looking back at him and blushing.

"I do," he says, chuckling.

She walks out of the door and back to hers and Roméo's bedroom. He's fallen back asleep so Juliette simply kicks off her slippers and hangs up her robe before laying down next to him, head full of thoughts about Mercutio.

"Did your walk help you feel better last night?" Roméo asks in the morning, before they've gotten out of bed, one arm wrapped around her.

"Yes," Juliette replies, yawning, "It certainly did."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks pass and a sense of normalcy, a sense of routine, albeit an enjoyable routine, forms in Mercutio's rendezvous with Juliette. He meets her in the spare bedroom three or four nights a week, they make love, Juliette returns to Roméo's bed, and he either returns home or falls asleep in the bedroom. Today, however, he is slightly earlier than the time he usually walks into the gates of the Montague compound. Mercutio has made it to the bottom of the stairs when he hears from upstairs, "Juliette! I can explain!"

A few weeks pass and a sense of normalcy, a sense of routine, albeit an enjoyable routine, forms in Mercutio's rendezvous with Juliette. He meets her in the spare bedroom three or four nights a week, they make love, Juliette returns to Roméo's bed, and he either returns home or falls asleep in the bedroom. Today, however, he is slightly earlier than the time he usually walks into the gates of the Montague compound. Mercutio has made it to the bottom of the stairs when he hears from upstairs, "Juliette! I can explain!"

He recognizes the voice as Roméo's and he all but runs up to see Roméo and Juliette standing in the hallway, Roméo with with his back to Mercutio so he can only see Juliette's face. Roméo's hair is messy and he's only wearing a pair of pants, while Juliette is fully dressed and angry.

"In our bed, Roméo? How many other girls have you had in our bed?" Juliette exclaims. 

"That doesn't matter, Juliette. I love you," Roméo says, reaching out to touch Juliette's face. She pulls away from him and sees Mercutio standing at the top of the stairs.

"Good evening, Mercutio," she says, her eyes meeting his. Roméo turns to look at him. Mercutio chuckles nervously and says, "Good evening, Juliette, Roméo."

"Good evening," Roméo says stiffly. Mercutio walks past them and continues down the hallway, calling back, "I'm sorry to interrupt."

He walks until he's rounded a corner and then stops. He tries to strain and hear what Roméo and Juliette are saying but they're not talking as loudly anymore. After a few minutes, he walks back around the corner and sees Juliette standing alone in the hallway. He walks over to her and asks, "So, what happened?"

Juliette turns to look at him and says, "I walked in on him and Tybalt's lover, so we got in an argument about that."

"I heard part of it. How did it end?"

"The same as it always does. He's going to be out of Verona for a week and then when he returns, he'll tell me how sorry he is and I'll forgive him, like I always do," Juliette replies.

"So that's why he was gone those few times," Mercutio says, thinking back to the times in the past when Roméo had left Verona without explanation only to come back like nothing had happened, like he'd never left.

"I will never understand how his mind works," Juliette states, crossing her arms over her breasts.

Mercutio's eyes flick down to the cleavage exposed by her dress and then back up to her scowling face as he says, "I do, in a way. He wants to fuck other women and still have you to come back to, and he is apparently a strong believer in the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."

"I'd say that absence makes the heart go yonder," Juliette retorts before grabbing him by the front of his jacket, pulling him down to her height, and pressing her lips to his.

As much as he wants to keep kissing her, he forces himself to pull away.

"Someone could see us."

"Let them, especially if it's Roméo," Juliette states.

"I know you're angry and I am exceptionally desirable, but I would prefer not to be thrown down the stairs tonight or any other night," Mercutio says, chuckling.

"Roméo wouldn't do that," Juliette says.

"My point still stands," Mercutio says, walking to the door of their usual bedroom and opening it. He turns and looks at Juliette before turning back around and walking inside.

It's not long before Juliette is inside as well, slamming the door behind her. Mercutio has just enough time to kick his boots off before she's kissing him again. Her fingers tangle in his hair, almost too tightly, and he moans into her mouth. 

Mercutio breaks away from the kiss long enough to shed his long jacket before kissing her again. The kiss hasn't gone on for long when Juliette pushes him back onto the bed. Mercutio scoots back on the bed, propping himself up on his elbows to look at her. Juliette quickly unlaces her dress before stepping out of it. She quickly pulls off her underthings and then she's on the bed with him.

She straddles him, one leg on either side of his purple-clad hips, and smiles down at him. He's never seen her smile this way before, never seen her with deviousness in her eyes while her lips are twisted up into a smile that reminds him eerily of Tybalt's. She doesn't bother unbuttoning his shirt, instead grabbing fistfuls of fabric on either side of the buttons and pulling, until she's ripped it open. Small purple buttons go flying and he now realizes why she was was smiling the way she was.

"My poor shirt," Mercutio says, eyes moving to follow the path of one button as it rolls off of the bed and onto the floor.

"You have more shirts," Juliette says, undoing his belt. He smiles, recognizing his own words from the first night they spent together.

"Good point," he says, staring up at her, wondering why he hadn't truly noticed her until the day they agreed upon this arrangement. She's beautiful, he thinks, looking at the way her brown eyes have darkened even more with desire, the way her cheeks are flushed pink, the way she's biting her soft bottom lip, the way her dark blonde hair falls in waves over her bare shoulders, the way her small, pink-tipped breasts rise and fall with every breath, the way her soft thighs clench around his hips, everything about her. He'd thought that she was simply pretty before their whole arrangement started, but now it's like he's noticing her in a way he never noticed her before.

"You're beautiful," he breathes out, without even thinking. 

"Again with the flattery?" Juliette asks, her cheeks flushing a darker pink.

"Again with the truth," Mercutio retorts.

Juliette smiles and bends down to kiss him. Her lips meet his and he tangles his fingers in hair, rocking his hips up against her. She moans against his mouth at the feeling of his cock brushing against her sex, the only barrier between them the fabric of his pants. 

Juliette pulls back from the kiss and sits back on his thighs. She undoes his belt and pulls it loose before undoing his pants and pulling them down far enough to free his cock. His cock springs out, throbbing with need, the head of it already leaking precum. She wastes no time in positioning herself over him and then sinking down, her sex enveloping him all the way to the base of his cock. He moans, loudly, his hands going to rest on the swell of her hips. He watches her as she rides him, watches her breasts bounce as she pulls up before sinking back down onto him. He moves one of his hands from her hip and up to one of her breasts. He palms at her breast as he starts thrusting his hips up to match her pace on his cock. She moans and he rolls her nipple between his fingers until it's a stiff peak before moving his hand to her other breast and doing the same to it. 

Mercutio can feel her sex beginning to clench around his cock and trails his hand down from her breast, down her stomach, and to between her legs. He moans as his fingers brush against his own cock before he manages to find her clit. He rubs it roughly and that's all it takes for Juliette to reach her peak, a moan leaving her lips as her walls spasm around him. She pulls off of his cock right before his own orgasm hits him, leaving him moaning loudly as his release spurts in streaks up into the air before falling back onto his own stomach.  
She lays on the bed next to him and neither of them say anything for a long time.

"I should go back to my room," she says, sitting up.

"Give me a kiss first?" Mercutio asks, smiling.

Juliette rolls her eyes before bending and kissing him.

"See you tomorrow?" Juliette asks after pulling away. 

"Of course," he says, wiping his release off of his stomach with his hand before wiping his hand on the bed. He watches as she pulls her dress back on and slips her shoes back on and then leaves, his mind filled with thoughts of tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mercutio," he says and her heart skips a beat before he continues, "He's planning a picnic in the Montague gardens for today at noon, and he asked me to invite you. I apologize for waking you up."
> 
> "It's fine, don't worry," Juliette says, "Tell Mercutio that I'll be there."
> 
> "See you then," Benvolio nods and says and then turns away. Juliette watches him walk down the stairs before turning around and shutting the door behind her.

Juliette wakes up to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She looks around for Roméo, her mind still clouded from sleep, before remembering that it hasn't been a week yet. She gets out of bed and walks over to the door, hoping that Roméo hasn't come back early.

"Good morning, Juliette," Benvolio says after she opens the door.

"Good morning, Benvolio. I thought you were Roméo, back from his little vacation early, at first," Juliette says.

"No, just me," Benvolio says with a laugh, reaching up to run his fingers through his curly brown hair. 

"What brings you to my room this early?" Juliette asks, reaching up to rub her eyes. 

"Mercutio," he says and her heart skips a beat before he continues, "He's planning a picnic in the Montague gardens for today at noon, and he asked me to invite you. I apologize for waking you up."

"It's fine, don't worry," Juliette says, "Tell Mercutio that I'll be there."

"See you then," Benvolio nods and says and then turns away. Juliette watches him walk down the stairs before turning around and shutting the door behind her. 

She's ready well before noon, her dark blonde hair neatly brushed and parted, dressed in a dark blue dress and wearing a matching pair of boots. After what may as well have been an eternity, it's close enough to noon for her to leave her room and head down to the gardens. It doesn't take long for her to be able to spot Mercutio sitting on a blanket with his back to her, his wild hair and purple jacket making him difficult to miss.

"Hello," she says in greeting when she's close enough for him to hear her.

"Good day, Juliette," he says, a smile on his face as he turns his head to watch her. She sits down on the blanket across from him, sitting so that she's not accidentally revealing anything under the skirt of her dress.

Mercutio leans forward and presses his lips to hers in an all too brief kiss before leaning back. Juliette looks around at what else is laid out on the blanket. There are two bottles of wine and three glasses to Mercutio's side, and a basket sitting in the middle of the blanket. Curiosity overtakes her and she lifts the covering of the basket to look inside at the contents. There are loaves of bread and blocks of cheese inside, along with a knife.

"Where did you find all of this?" Juliette asks, setting the covering to the side in order to pull one of the loves from the basket and cut a slice off with the knife from the basket.

"I bought the wine and borrowed the rest from the kitchens," Mercutio replies, opening one of the bottles of wine.

"'Borrowed'?" Juliette asks, eyebrows raised as she slices off a piece of cheese to place on the bread.

"I may or may not have asked permission," he says, flashing her a devious smile and pouring the wine into three glasses. She can't help but to laugh.

At that moment, Benvolio arrives.

"Sorry I'm late. One of the serving girls dropped what she was carrying on the way back to the kitchens and I stopped to help her pick everything up," Benvolio says as he sits down next to Mercutio on the blanket.

"That was nice of you to do, Benvolio," Juliette says. Benvolio smiles at her in return.

"Well, it looks like we're all here now," Mercutio says with a smile, looking from her to Benvolio.

"I thought you said you were going to invite more people?" Benvolio asks, sitting down and looking at Mercutio with his brows furrowed.

"Everyone else I asked was busy," Mercutio replies, winking at Juliette. She realizes then that he didn't really invite other people, just her and Benvolio. She wonders if he only invited Benvolio because of how it would look if he'd invited to just her and they were alone in the gardens together, where anyone could see them. She acts like she didn't see his wink, instead raising the piece of bread in her hand up to her mouth and taking a bite.

"Of course they were," Benvolio says with a sigh, grabbing one of the glasses of wine and downing half of it in one gulp.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mercutio asks, eyes narrowing as he looks at Benvolio.

"Just that I was hoping to spend time everyone. It's been too long since a number of Montagues have gotten together and done anything. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with both of you," Benvolio says, his eyes meeting Mercutio's and then Juliette's.

"Oh," Mercutio says, nodding, his eyes no longer narrowed at Benvolio.

"I understand completely," Juliette says, quietly, "I do miss being able to spend as much time as I want with the Capulets."

Mercutio and Benvolio both look at her.

"You are still allowed to visit them, aren't you?" Benvolio asks, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. I'm just expected to spend more time here, is all," Juliette replies.

"Ah," Mercutio says, reaching into the basket and pulling out the bread, "Is anyone hungry?"

The three of them eat the bread and cheese together, occasionally drinking the wine, talking about everything and nothing, for quite some time before Benvolio asks, "Say, exactly why has Roméo left Verona this time?"

Mercutio and Juliette share a worried look, both remembering exactly why Roméo had left, before Juliette says, "He told me it was something about important business outside of Verona."

Mercutio lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as Benvolio nods before a worried look passed over his face.

"That reminds me. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave early," Benvolio says, standing up.

"How come?" Juliette asks, looking up at him.

Mercutio finishes his food and says, "I can't believe you're ditching us like this, Benvolio."

Benvolio rolls his eyes before saying, "I'd forgotten that Aunt wanted me to meet with her and discuss and I quote, 'important Montague business', whatever that's supposed to mean, until you mentioned that Roméo is out of town for important business."

"Ah," Mercutio says, nodding, "You have fun with that."

"Thank you," Benvolio says drily before bending to pick up the unopened bottle of wine. Mercutio looks up at him, eyebrows raised, and asks, "And what do you think you're doing with that?"

"I'm taking it to my aunt as a peace offering in case she's already angry at something," Benvolio replies, tucking the bottle under his arm.

"See you around, Benvolio, and good luck with Lady Montague," Juliette says, wiping her hands on her skirt.

"Thank you, Juliette," Benvolio says sincerely before turning and walking out of the gardens and back into the building.

"So, it looks like it's just us now," Mercutio says, looking at Juliette.

"What about it?" Juliette asks in return, hoping that this is going where she thinks it is.

"Come with me," Mercutio says, standing up. Juliette stands up as well and as soon as she does, he grabs her hand and tugs her in the direction of the back of the garden.

"But what about all this?" She asks, gesturing back towards their picnicking spot.

"We won't be gone for long. Well, too long."

"Where exactly are we going?" She asks, walking with him. They're walking quickly, past countless flowers, trees, and bushes, and Juliette wonders exactly how big this garden is.

"I know of a few spots that are good for sneaking off together for secret trysts," Mercutio replies, glancing back at her.

"Do I even want to ask how you know about these spots?" Juliette asks, eyebrows raised.

"I've had dalliances with a few Montague girls before," Mercutio answers, laughing as he pulls her behind a particularly large tree towards the back of the garden. He sits down and pats the ground next to him. She sits down next to him, close enough that their legs are touching, and asks, "Were you planning on having one of those dalliances with me?"

"Perhaps," he replies, laying a hand on one of her thighs.

Juliette pushes his hand away and stands up. He raises an eyebrow as he looks up at her. She pulls the skirt of her dress up to above her hips with one hand while pulling down her underthings with the other and watches as realization dawns on his face. She steps out of the underthings and kicks them away before sitting down in Mercutio's lap, one leg on either side of his hips. He kisses her then, hard, one hand tangling in her hair the other working on getting his pants open. Juliette moves his hand away and opens his pants herself before standing up.

"What now?" Mercutio asks.

"Stand up. I can't get your pants down with you like that," Juliette replies.

"Oh," Mercutio says, quickly standing up.

"How do you want to do this? You on top or me on top?"

Mercutio thinks for a moment before saying, "I'll be on top, but in a different way."

Juliette looks at him, a confused expression on her face and asks, "How so?"

Mercutio steps forward and kisses her before saying, "Just get on your hands and knees and trust me."

Juliette nods and does what he told her to do, still looking up at him with a confused expression on her face. He walks around to behind her and kneels there. He brushes her hair over her shoulder with one hand and leans in, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck while pulling up the back of the skirt of her dress with his other hand.

"Mercutio?" Juliette asks.

"Trust me," he repeats, nudging her thighs farther apart with his knee before moving one of his hands between her legs, rubbing her clit. It doesn't take long before Juliette is moaning, the sounds going straight to his cock. Mercutio's pants are rapidly becoming too tight, his cock straining against the fabric. He grinds his hips into her ass in an effort to get a small measure of relief, before pulling his hand out from between her legs to tug his pants down far enough to free his cock. He thrusts into the wet heat between her legs and groans, low in his throat. Juliette moans out his name and despite every part of him screaming to pound relentlessly into her, he paces himself, starting a slow, steady pace.

"Please," Juliette moans.

"Please what?" He asks, pulling back before thrusting in slowly, reaching around to grope at her breasts through the bodice of her dress.

"More," Juliette begs. Mercutio tugs the neckline of her dress down, not caring about the sound of some of the stitches ripping, low enough that her breasts are hanging out of the dress. He cups them in his hands before rubbing her nipples between his fingers. 

"More what? You'll have to be more specific, Juliette," he says, pinching her nipples. Juliette moans, needy, and the sound is music to his ears.

"I need..." Juliette trails off and Mercutio moves one of his hand from her breasts to between her legs, lightly brushing one the tip of one of his fingers over her clit.

"Tell me what you need, Juliette, and I'll give it to you," Mercutio promises.

"I need you to f-fuck me harder," Juliette says, shakily. He moans loudly and wishes he could see the look on her face as he picks up the speed of his thrusts, slamming into her. He rubs her clit faster and lightly pinches one of her nipples as he thrusts into her. She moans louder than he's ever heard her moan before and he's glad about the seclusion of the spot they're in. 

"Mercutio," Juliette moans, her walls clenching around his cock as she comes. He continues thrusting into her, riding out her orgasm, before spilling into her with a loud groan. Mercutio pulls out of her, after, and realizes how big a mistake he probably made by coming inside of her. He tucks himself back into his pants before pulling them up and standing. Juliette picks her underthings up from nearby and stands up, pulling them back on and letting her skirt fall back into place. She pulls the bodice of her dress back up and covers her breasts as good as she can before turning and looking at him.

"That was...very enjoyable," Juliette says, her face flushed pink.

"Yes, it was," Mercutio says and kisses her.

"I'm sorry for ripping your dress," he says after pulling away. 

"You're lucky it's not one of my favorites," Juliette says, smiling. He offers her his arm, returning her smile. She takes his arm and they walk back to the picnic spot together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are the rumors true?" Tybalt asks, pushing past Benvolio to stand in front of Mercutio.
> 
> "Well, good afternoon to you too, Tybalt," Mercutio says, laughing.

"Benvolio! Benvolio!" Mercutio exclaims while pounding on the door to Benvolio's bedroom. He's midway through another knock when the door swings open to reveal Benvolio, half-dressed and barely awake.

"Why are you awake this early, Mercutio?" Benvolio asks, groggily.

"It's not that early, Benvolio. The birds have been singing for hours now," Mercutio replies. He gazes past Benvolio and into the bedroom and sees the girls in Benvolio's bed. He grins and says, "So that's why you're so tired."

Benvolio looks back into the room as if he'd forgotten that he'd had company and looks back at Mercutio, a slight pinkness to his cheeks as he crosses his arms and asks, "So, why are you here, Mercutio?"

"I was thinking you and I could take a walk to the marketplace, maybe visit a tavern or two, just for something to do," Mercutio replies. He looks back at the girls in Benvolio's bed and adds, "That is, if you're not too busy."

"Give me five minutes," Benvolio says and shuts the door. Mercutio leans against the wall and laughs. The door to Roméo's room opens and Juliette walks out. His smile widens when he sees her.

"Good morning, Juliette."

She looks at him and says, smiling, "Good morning, Mercutio."

"What do you have planned for today?" He asks.

Juliette walks over and stands in front of him and says, "I thought I'd go spend the day with my mother and Nurse. What about you?"

Mercutio looks back at Benvolio's door and says, "Waiting for Benvolio to become presentable so we can go out around town."

Juliette laughs. "Have fun with that."

"You too," he says. She stands on her tiptoes and kisses him quickly on the lips before saying, "I'll see you later."

"I'm looking forward to it," he says with a wink and then she's gone, hurrying down the stairs. Mercutio sighs and waits for Benvolio, tapping his foot as he does so. After what is much longer than five minutes, Benvolio emerges from his bedroom, fully dressed except for his unlaced pants. Mercutio snorts and clears his throat, pointing down to Benvolio's crotch, saying, "I think you've forgotten something."

Benvolio looks down quickly laces his pants up, blushing all the while. Mercutio can't help but laugh, causing Benvolio to glare at him and say, "Be quiet, Mercutio."

Mercutio laughs again and they begin the walk to the markets.

"So. Who were the lucky ladies?" Mercutio asks as they walk.

"You probably wouldn't know them, since they were neither Montagues nor Capulets, or even relations of yours," Benvolio replies, kicking a rock as he walks.

"Would Roméo know them?" Mercutio asks, waggling his eyebrows.

Benvolio shakes his head and says, "No, I don't think so."

"Say, what were the 'important Montague issues' Lady Montague wanted to discuss with you, or can you not tell me?"

Benvolio sighs before saying, "She just wanted to ask me when I planned on finding a wife. She started listing off all of the eligible women in Verona and I wound up telling her I didn't know who I wanted to marry just yet."

"Ah. What, can't pick which of your two girls to marry?" Mercutio asks.

Benvolio simply glares at him without saying anything and Mercutio laughs. The streets aren't that crowded for once, so he and Benvolio are able to make it to the marketplace in a decent amount of time.

"Do you plan on buying anything?" Benvolio asks as they pass by a stall selling fruit. Mercutio looks at the different fruits and replies, "If something catches my eye. Are you?"

Benvolio shrugs and says, "I'm not sure."

Mercutio looks at Benvolio and asks, "Nothing for those girls of yours?"

Benvolio looks away and says, "They're not my girls. Simply acquaintances that I occasionally take to bed."

Mercutio laughs and says, "If you say so."

As they're passing by a merchant selling dresses, Mercutio stops and picks up a green dress. He holds it up to himself and calls out, "Benvolio! What do you think?"

Benvolio turns back to look at him and deadpans, "It's not your color."

Mercutio returns the dress and laughs before sprinting to catch up with Benvolio. They walk a little further before Mercutio spots something shiny out of the corner of his eye. He looks in the direction of it and sees a merchant selling jewelry and, walking over, looks at the different jewelry available.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised that this caught your attention," Benvolio remarks.

"You should get something for those girls of yours," Mercutio says, picking up a silver bracelet inlaid with small purple stones. Benvolio ignores that, simply looking over Mercutio's shoulder at the bracelet.

"Are you getting that for yourself or do you have a lover I don't know about?"

Mercutio pays for the bracelet with a handful of florins before reaching inside of his jacket and placing it in a pocket inside. He laughs and replies, "A lover."

"Who is she? Or is it a he this time?" Benvolio asks, curiosity clear in his voice. They resume walking and Mercutio says, "A woman this time."

"Well, who is she, then?"

Mercutio thinks of what to say and how to say it before answering, "I won't tell you her name, but I will tell you that she is married, and not to me."

Benvolio shakes his head and says, laughing, "That's new even for you, Mercutio."

"I'll try anything once," Mercutio replies, also laughing.

Abruptly, Benvolio stops laughing, looking over his shoulder at something. Mercutio looks at him, eyebrows raised.

"Is everything all right, Benvolio?"

Benvolio shakes his head and simply says, "Tybalt."

Mercutio looks at where Benvolio's gaze is and sees Tybalt walking swiftly down the street towards them. Mercutio sighs and pulls Benvolio towards the side of the road.

"Are the rumors true?" Tybalt asks, pushing past Benvolio to stand in front of Mercutio.

"Well, good afternoon to you too, Tybalt," Mercutio says, laughing.

"Are the rumors true?" Tybalt asks again, more forcefully this time. There's no way he could know, Mercutio reassures himself before asking, "Which ones? You do know how many rumors there are involving me, right?"

Tybalt glares at him and bites out, "The rumors about you and Juliette."

Panic flashes through Mercutio before he laughs and says, "No, no, of course not."

Tybalt nods and moves to turn around until Mercutio adds, "But of course, I wouldn't say no if she asked me."

Tybalt grabs Mercutio by his jacket and pins him to the wall of one of the buildings on the street, glaring daggers at him as he says, "Be careful of how you speak of Juliette."

Suddenly, an idea, crazier than any idea he's had, at least recently, pops into his head and Mercutio flings his arms around Tybalt's neck and says, laughing, "And of course, I wouldn't say no to a Capulet sandwich either."

He can see Benvolio's pained expression over Tybalt's shoulder and he starts laughing. Tybalt pulls away from him, a look of disgust on his face. Mercutio straightens his jacket and just as Tybalt has moved to turn away, he adds, "Come now, Tybalt. I think we all know you'd be amenable so long as Juliette was there. Right, Benvolio?"

Benvolio grimaces and says, "Leave me out of this, Mercutio."

Before Mercutio has time to react, Tybalt has punched him. Mercutio slides down the wall, hand over one eye. "I've known girls that have hit me harder than that, Tybalt," Mercutio complains, slowly getting to his feet. Tybalt is about to hit him again when Benvolio steps between them. "That's enough, Tybalt," Benvolio warns, "We don't want any trouble." Benvolio pauses before continuing, "Well, he might, but I don't."

With a final glare at them, Tybalt walks off. Mercutio straightens his jacket again, making sure the bracelet is still securely inside, and laughs, looking at Benvolio through the eye that isn't swelling up. Benvolio sighs, rubbing his temples and asking, "Must you always provoke him?"

Mercutio laughs again and replies, "I would have far less fun if I left him alone."

Benvolio sighs again and says, "We're lucky he hasn't stabbed you yet."

"Oh, I know," Mercutio replies, slinging an arm over Benvolio's shoulders and continues, "How about we head back to the Montague compound? My eye hurts and I find myself growing tired."

Benvolio laughs and says, "Of course you're tired now that you've had your daily full of conflict."

"You know me far too well, Benvolio."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I'd accidentally deleted the entire story when I was working on it back in March. All I was able to recover of it was the first chapter, saved in the drafts of my email, and the 'Capulet sandwich' line, which I had sent to a friend.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercutio is already in the bedroom when Juliette gets there, laying on the bed and facing away from the door. When he doesn't turn to face her, she's concerned because it's not like him to do so. She closes the door behind her and walks around the bed, looking down at him. When she sees his face, she realizes why he didn't turn to look at her. One of his eyes is swollen shut, bruising beginning to appear on his skin.

Mercutio is already in the bedroom when Juliette gets there, laying on the bed and facing away from the door. When he doesn't turn to face her, she's concerned because it's not like him to do so. She closes the door behind her and walks around the bed, looking down at him. When she sees his face, she realizes why he didn't turn to look at her. One of his eyes is swollen shut, bruising beginning to appear on his skin.

"What happened to your eye?" Juliette asks, sitting down on the bed next to him, concern flooding through her.

"Tybalt," Mercutio replies, turning his head to look at her with his good eye. Juliette brushes strands of his hair out of his face before bending and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"What caused Tybalt to decide to punch you?" She asks, her hand resting on his cheek for a moment before returning to rest in her lap alongside her other hand. Mercutio rolls onto his back and sighs, saying, "Apparently there are rumors circulating about the two of us and he wanted to know if they were true."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him they weren't, of course."

"So he punched you because of rumors that you told him were untrue?" Juliette asks, eyebrows raised, confusion clear on her face.

"I may or may not have told him that I wouldn't object to them being true and that I...wouldn't object to taking part in a 'Capulet sandwich', as I believe I phrased it," he says, his eyes meeting hers. He watches as her expression of confusion changes into one of surprise, and then suddenly she's doubled over in laughter.

"A Capulet sandwich?" She gasps out after a few minutes, still laughing.

"Your cousin may be an ass, but still, he is quite attractive," Mercutio replies, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a smile.

"Oh? So who's more attractive, me or Tybalt?" Juliette asks after her laughter dies down, moving and straddling his hips.

"You are," he says and then kisses her, flipping them so that he's straddling her instead, his lips never leaving hers. He pulls back after a moment, remembering the bracelet.

"I bought you something today," he says, propping himself up over her with one hand while digging inside of his jacket with the other.

"You didn't have to do that," Juliette says, her cheeks turning pink. 

"I know," Mercutio replies, "Give me your hand?"

Juliette nods and brings one of her hands up from between his body and hers. He pulls the bracelet out of his jacket and slides down her hand until it's hanging around her wrist.

"Oh, Mercutio," Juliette sighs out, staring at the bracelet before reaching up and tangling her fingers in the hair on the back of his head, pulling his head down so that she can press her lips to his.

"I take it that you like it, then?" He asks after they part for air.

"I do, very much so," Juliette replies, reaching between them to undo the belt holding the two sides of his jacket together. The belt comes undone and he takes it off one arm at a time until it's off completely and then tosses it elsewhere in the room. He kisses her again, grinding his hips against her, his cock already halfway to hard. Her hands come between their bodies again, this time to unbutton his shirt. Juliette undoes all of the buttons without breaking the kiss, her lips moving against his while her hands move down his stomach. When she's finished unbuttoning his shirt, he breaks the kiss and pulls back before standing up and getting off of the bed. He shrugs his shirt off and tosses it to the side as Juliette watches him.

He kicks his boots off and then undoes his belt, slowly sliding it through the loops of his pants until it's off completely. He tosses his belt to the side, where it lands on top of his jacket. Mercutio undoes his pants and pulls them all the down before stepping out of them, so that he's standing in front of her, wearing only a smile that's almost-but-not-quite ruined by his black eye.

"Aren't you a bit overdressed?" He asks, standing with his hands on his hips. Juliette's brown gaze darts down and lingers on his cock for a moment before flicking back up to his face.

"Then do something about it," she says, getting off of the bed and standing in front of him. He looks her over from head to toe, deciding where to start. She's still wearing her own pair of boots, so he drops to his knees in front of her. He undoes the laces on one boot before holding it still so that she can pull her foot free before doing the same to her other boot. He moves her boots to the side and then looks up at her. Juliette's eyes are even darker than normal as she gazes down at him. He can imagine how he looks, desperation painted on his face as he kneels in front of her, staring up at her with one good eye and the other still slightly swollen and surrounded by bruised skin, his cock already almost painfully hard just from kissing her.

"Well?" Juliette asks and he looks away, back at her legs, partially hidden by the skirt of her dress. He runs his hands up her calves, fingers and palms dragging against the material of what he assumes to be stockings. His hands move higher, over her knees and under her dress, onto her thighs, and feels that his assumption was right as his hands move from fabric to soft skin. He carefully pulls her stockings down, one at a time. She lifts her feet to allow him to pull them down and then he's left back where he started, simply kneeling in front of her. Mercutio runs his hands up her legs again, this time with nothing coming between his skin and hers. His hands move higher and higher until he reaches the tops of her thighs and discovers that she's not wearing anything under her skirt.

"You naughty girl," he says, breathlessly.

"You like it," Juliette says, smiling down at him.

"You know I do," he replies with a moan, cock throbbing between his legs.

Juliette adjusts herself so that she's standing with her legs farther apart and he gets the hint, moving so that he's kneeling between her legs. He presses a kiss to the inside of her thigh and then cranes his head back just enough and then his mouth is on her, licking and sucking at the heat between her legs. She moans, hands grasping at her skirt and pulling it up slightly. He runs the tip of his tongue around her clit, hard enough for her to feel him but lightly enough to tease.

"Mercutio," Juliette all but moans out and he relents, moving one of his hands from her thighs to between her legs, running his fingers over the opening of her sex while he sucks at her clit. He slips one finger inside of her, fucking her with it like he would his cock. He adds a second finger and she moans again, louder this time. He runs his tongue around her clit, with more pressure than he did before while pumping his fingers in and out of her wet heat and that's all it takes to send her over the edge, her sex clenching around his fingers as she moans out his name.

He lets her ride out her orgasm on his fingers before pulling away, out from under her skirt, and sitting back on his heels. His eyes meet her and then he's bringing the fingers that we're inside of her up to his mouth. He licks them clean, moaning at the taste of her, cock throbbing almost painfully between his legs, his eyes never leaving hers. Mercutio slowly stands up and then kisses her, his hands undoing the ties on the back of her dress that are holding it together as his mouth moves against hers.

"I want to try something," Juliette says, pulling back from the kiss, face reddening.

"Oh?" Mercutio asks, eyebrows raised.

She pushes him back until the backs of his legs hit the bed and then reaches up and places her hands on his shoulders, pushing him down so that he's sitting on the bed. She shrugs the dress off of her shoulders and then pushes it all the way down until she's standing in front of him, completely bare to his eyes.

"Oh," he says again when Juliette sinks down to her knees in front of him. She wraps one hand around his cock, stroking him up and down before leaning in and licking a stripe up the underside of his cock. He moans, fingers bunching up the bedsheets as he grabs at them. She looks up at him, a small smile on her face, before circling her tongue around the head of his cock, teasing him the way he had teased her earlier.

"Please," he chokes out, grip tightening on the bedsheets. Juliette's mouth is on him then, her lips wrapping around the head of his cock as she works her hand up and down what's not in her mouth. She sucks on the broad head, running her tongue over his slit, tasting him, before slowly taking more of him into her mouth.

Mercutio moans, trying his best to not thrust into her mouth. He looks down at Juliette and the sight of her kneeling in front of him, bobbing up and down on his cock and the feeling of her mouth on him is enough to cause heat to spread inside of him and then he's crashing over the edge into his orgasm, sheets clenched tightly between his fingers as he spills inside of her mouth.

Juliette waits until he's done and then slowly pulls off of him. He groans, low in his throat, when he sees her swallow, and then falls back onto the bed, suddenly tired.

"Had you ever done that before?" He asks as she lays next to him on the bed.

"Only a few times. Roméo usually prefers just to make love without anything extra," Juliette replies, propping herself up on an arm to look at him better.

"His loss," Mercutio says, his eyes meeting hers.

Juliette looks away, cheeks turning pink before saying, "Now you're just trying to flatter me."

"I mean it," he says, sitting up and then leaning down to press his lips to hers.

"How long until you'll be ready to go again?" Juliette asks after they part for air, breathing heavily, fingers still tangled in his hair.

"Give me just a little bit," he says and then kisses her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. This is the last chapter I have fully pre-written, so it'll probably be a little bit before I can get another one up. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter done soon, though!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want to watch you tonight," Juliette says, blushing heavily. Mercutio pauses in unbuttoning his shirt, and simply looks at her, eyes wide.
> 
> "But only if you want to, of course," she adds quickly.
> 
> "Watch me?" Mercutio asks in confusion. Juliette's eyes flick down to his crotch and that's when he realizes exactly what she means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long!

Mercutio is already in the room before Juliette gets there, waiting anxiously, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the door and waiting for it to open. It's been two days since he last got to be with her, last got to see her for more than a few brief moments, all because his uncle had him busy with various things, most of which could've been done by his uncle's servants, but there was no telling his uncle that. While he's waiting, he undoes the belt holding his long jacket somewhat shut before shedding the jacket and tossing it onto a nearby chair. After what really isn't that long but feels like an eternity, the door opens and Juliette walks in, quickly shutting the door behind her.

"Your eye looks a little bit better today," she says, walking to the bed and sitting down next to him.

"It feels better too. I do heal quickly, though," he says in return.

"I've missed you," Juliette says.

"And I you," Mercutio says, leaning in to press his lips to hers, his hands going up to the buttons on his shirt, beginning to undo them. She pulls away from the kiss first and he looks at her, eyebrows raised.

"I want to watch you tonight," Juliette says, blushing heavily. Mercutio pauses in unbuttoning his shirt, and simply looks at her, eyes wide.

"But only if you want to, of course," she adds quickly.

"Watch me?" Mercutio asks in confusion. Juliette's eyes flick down to his crotch and that's when he realizes exactly what she means.

"Oh, _watch me_. I want to. You just caught me off guard," he replies and finishes unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh," Juliette says, looking away from him.

"It would seem that I've done everything except for this. Normally, when I do this, I'm alone," he says, laughing, and finishes unbuttoning his shirt. He takes his shirt off and tosses it elsewhere in the room before looking back at Juliette.

"There's a first time for everything, I suppose. I haven't had a first time in a while," he says, laughing, before getting up off of the bed, hands going to his belt and undoing it. Juliette says nothing, simply watches him, a mix of anticipation and lust clear in her eyes. He bends and takes off his boots before returning to his belt, pulling it through the loops of his purple pants and tossing it elsewhere in the bedroom.

"What do you usually think about when you do...this?" Juliette asks as he sits back down on the bed, clad in only his pants.

"Roméo," he answers quickly and quietly.

"Oh," Juliette says, the disappointment in her voice surprising him.

"However, I haven't felt the need to do this since we started sleeping together," he adds.

"Oh," she says again, more breathily this time before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. He kisses her in return, his mouth moving desperately against hers as his cock begins to stir in his pants. Juliette trails one hand down his chest until she reaches the top of his pants. She undoes them one-handedly, briefly stroking across his cock while doing so, and then she's pulling away from him, sitting back on the bed. Mercutio groans in disappointment but then gets up off of the bed once more, this time to remove his pants. After doing so, he gets back on the bed, sitting where she's got a good view of him. He's not surprised when her dark gaze sweeps over him, from his eternally wild hair and the smile on his face, down his chest, and to his cock, halfway to hard between his legs.

His eyes meet hers, hazel on brown, and then he closes his as he works his hand up and down his cock, stroking himself to hardness and then even further, letting his usual fantasies flood his mind. Roméo, on his knees in front of him, looking up at him with those blue eyes as he smiles at Mercutio before taking his cock into his mouth. Roméo, bent over his bed, moaning as Mercutio fucks him. Roméo, on top of him, fucking Mercutio, kissing him while he furiously strokes his cock.

"Look at me," Juliette says, her voice low and for a moment before he opens his eyes he's convinced she knew what, knew who, he was thinking about, hand stilling on his cock. However, when he opens his eyes he sees the real reason she wanted him to look at her. She's got the skirt of her dress pulled up above her hips and a hand between her legs. He moans at the sight, tightening his grip on his cock, watching the small movements of her index and middle fingers inside of her sex as she rubs at her clit with her thumb.

He reluctantly pulls his gaze away from what she's doing to herself and looks up at her face instead, taking in the way her face is flushed pink, the way she bites her bottom lip, and the way she looks at him, eyes dark and full of lust. Mercutio resumes fucking his hand, faster than before, hips thrusting in time with his strokes, eyes alternating between focusing on Juliette's face and her hand, the heat of desire spreading through the entirety of him. It's not long before he comes with her name on his lips, eyes fluttering shut as he cups his hand over the head of his cock to catch the hot spurts of his release.

Wiping his hand on the bed and shuddering from the aftereffects of his orgasm, Mercutio opens his eyes just in time to see Juliette's mouth fall open as she too reaches her peak with a loud moan. Her hand stills between her legs as she rides her orgasm out, and then she's pulling her hand out and away. She's about to wipe her hand on the bed when Mercutio grabs her wrist instead. Juliette looks at him, a questioning look in her eyes. He simply smiles, brining her hand up to his mouth and sucking and licking her fingers clean. Her face flushes even more than it already has as his eyes meet hers. Once he can no longer taste anything but skin, he releases her hand.

"That was something else," Juliette says, letting the skirt of her dress fall and resting her hands in her lap.

"Yes, it was. I'm glad I got to have this first with you," Mercutio says with a laugh, getting off of the bed to pull his pants back on.

Neither of them say anything for a few moments but then the silence is broken by Juliette looking up from her hands and saying, "Roméo will be back soon."

"Yes," Mercutio says, redoing his pants and turning to look at her.

"I should be excited, but I'm not. I just wish you and I had more time together, without worrying about Roméo and I feel guilty for feeling that way," she confesses, sighing.

"I understand how you feel. I know we're just going back to the way we were before he left, but at the same time it feels different, like something has changed between us," Mercutio admits, sitting down next to her on the bed. Juliette's eyes meet his as she nods and then she's leaning in the press her lips to his, tangling the fingers of one small hand in his eternally wild hair. He's not sure how long they kiss, lips moving and tongues dancing, only that it doesn't feel like it was long enough when Juliette pulls away from him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to be with you for the past couple of days," Mercutio says after he catches his breath. He'd meant to tell her earlier, but then he'd gotten distracted by her and what she wanted him to do.

"It's fine. Your uncle _is_ the Prince after all, and I understand that you can't not do what he wants you to. Is it okay if we just stay here for a while? I just want to spend a little more time with you, since I did go two days with barely seeing you," Juliette replies, looking at Mercutio for a moment before laying down with her back to him.

"Of course," Mercutio says and lays down behind her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer, silently wishing they could stay like this forever.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I merely wanted to speak with you, Juliette," Tybalt replies, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
> 
> "Then say what you have to say," Juliette says, confused.
> 
> "Walk with me," Tybalt says brusquely, standing up and offering her his arm. She takes his arm and they walk through the gardens together. Tybalt stops near a group of apple trees and Juliette unlinks her arm from his.

Juliette is sitting in front of the mirror in her room, brushing out her hair when there's a knock on the door. She sets the brush back down on the table and picks up the bracelet Mercutio had given her. She slides it onto her wrist and then walks over to open the door. Standing outside is a Montague girl she doesn't recognize, not much taller than Juliette herself and with the same dark hair and blue eyes as many of the other Montagues.

"You've got a visitor," the girl says.

"Who is it?" Juliette asks. She wonders if Roméo has returned yet but knows he wouldn't send someone up to tell her, instead would come up himself to most likely beg forgiveness once more. She can't help but wonder if and how well Roméo knows this girl, if he had ever taken her to bed, before deciding that it doesn't matter. She then wonders if this girl is one of the Montagues Mercutio has taken to that spot in the gardens before, before wondering why the thought makes jealousy flare up inside of her.

"Your nurse. She saw me in the courtyard and pulled me aside and said to tell you that she's here to see you," the girl replies. Juliette can't help the smile the spreads across her face then.

"Thank you for letting me know," she says and the girl nods before walking off. Juliette walks out of the bedroom and closes the door behind her before hurrying down the stairs and out to the courtyard. She sees her nurse as soon as she goes out the front door and runs to her, throwing her arms around the older woman.

"It's good to see you too," her nurse says, laughing.

"Oh, Nurse," Juliette says, pulling away, "What're you doing here?"

"Your parents are planning a party next week to celebrate your birthday. I volunteered to bring you the news just so that I could see you, if only for a few briefmoments. I can still hardly believe that you're grown up already," her nurse says, smiling fondly.

"Thank you, Nurse, for letting me know. Would you like to stay for a while? I've got plenty of time," Juliette says in return. Her nurse flaps her hand dismissively before saying, "No, I can't stay. I need to get my old bones back home to help with the party planning."

"Oh," Juliette says, disappointment washing over her. She's missed her nurse, but she understands why her nurse has to leave so quickly, considering the type of parties her parents usually throw. Her nurse begins to turn away but then pauses, asking, "Say, why has Roméo decided to disappear from the city?"

Juliette's heart skips a beat and she hopes that her nurse won't say anything about Mercutio because her nurse knows her well enough to be able to tell that she'd be lying, before saying, "Just business, as far as I know."

"I thought as much, but it never hurts to ask. See you next week, Juliette," her nurse says, patting her on the cheek before turning away.

"Until then," Juliette replies.

She watches her nurse leave before deciding to take a walk in the gardens. She has just turned around the corner to the gardens when she hears a familiar voice call out, "Juliette!"

She looks in the direction the sound of her name came from and she sees Tybalt, sitting on a bench near the fountain. He pats the spot next to him and Juliette walks over to him.

"Tybalt? What're you doing here?"

Tybalt crosses his arms and answers, "Am I not allowed to visit you, dear cousin?"

She sits down on the bench, making sure to leave plenty of space between them as she looks at him and says, frowning, "It's just not like you to want to be somewhere with so many Montagues."

"I merely wanted to speak with you, Juliette," Tybalt replies, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Then say what you have to say," Juliette says, confused.

"Walk with me," Tybalt says brusquely, instead of giving her a proper answer, standing up and offering her his arm. She takes his arm and they walk through the gardens together. Tybalt stops near a group of apple trees and Juliette unlinks her arm from his.

"What is it you want to speak about, Tybalt?" She asks.

His gaze travels from her face and down her body before settling back on her face. Juliette crosses her arms over her breasts, not appreciating the way his gaze had lingered there and also confused as to where this sudden attention has come from. She's known Tybalt her entire life and never before has he looked at her like this, or if he has, she hadn't noticed. Tybalt simply looks at her for a few moments before stating, "I miss seeing you in red."

"Is that what you came here to tell me? That you miss seeing me in red?" Juliette asks, eyebrows raised. Tybalt laughs and shakes his head before replying, "No. I wanted to talk to you about Mercutio."

"What about me and Mercutio?" She asks, trying not to appear too worried about what he might know.

"I have heard rumors about you and Mercutio."

"What sort of rumors?"

"Oh, I think you can guess, Juliette," Tybalt snaps.

"What are you implying, Tybalt?" She snaps back, practically hissing out his name. He grabs her by the shoulders and backs her up against the nearest tree. 

"Word is on the street that you've taken him into your bed," Tybalt says, glaring down at her. She shoves him away from her, face burning hot, and retorts, "That's preposterous! What would I want with Mercutio?"

"You have, haven't you? I can tell, Juliette, because I've always been able to tell when you're lying. You may fool Roméo and the rest of the city, but not me, never me," Tybalt rants. Juliette crosses her arms and looks at him, one eyebrow raised, saying, "So what if I have? Roméo has his affairs, so what if I have mine? Roméo wouldn't end the marriage even if he knew, besides."

Tybalt backs her up against the tree again and she is suddenly acutely aware of how much taller than her Tybalt is, how much bigger, how much stronger, and fear sinks into her stomach.

"Why him? Why Mercutio?" Tybalt asks softly, touching her hair. 

"Why not Mercutio? He's handsome enough and close enough friends with Roméo that me being around him wouldn't look overly suspicious," Juliette replies, thinking of Mercutio, of his smile, of his laugh, of his voice, of everything about him.

Tybalt leans down and his dark eyes meet hers as he says, "I would not have denied you, had you come to me."

"You're my cousin, Tybalt. I've never thought of you that way," Juliette says. Tybalt runs his fingers through her hair and Juliette turns her face away from his. He turns her face back towards him and brushes his fingers against her cheek. 

"Cousin, cousin, what does it matter? I've loved you since I was thirteen, Juliette," he says and kisses her before she has a chance to say anything in reply. She tries to push him away but he just grabs her hands and links his fingers with hers. The thought of kneeing him in the crotch briefly crosses her mind but she's seen him in enough fights to know that he's only down for a minute before rising even angrier than before. She simply closes her eyes and waits for him to be done. All of a sudden, he's suddenly pulled away from her and her eyes fly open. Behind him is Benvolio, angrier than she's ever seen him and she's never been happier to see him.

"It's not-," she starts to say when Benvolio interrupts, glaring at Tybalt, "I know." 

Tybalt turns around to look at Benvolio. Benvolio grabs Tybalt by the front of his shirt and says, "I see that Mercutio was right about you, Tybalt."

"So? What're you going to do, Benvolio?" Tybalt asks.

Benvolio lets go of Tybalt's shirt and says, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave. And if I ever see you back here, I'll kill you myself."

Tybalt simply laughs and turns back to look at Juliette. He opens his mouth and looks like he wants to say something but shakes his head and simply walks away. Benvolio looks at her, concern in his eyes as he asks, "Are you okay, Juliette?"

She watches Tybalt until she can no longer see him and then replies, "I'm fine, I think. Thank you for interrupting him."

Benvolio nods and says, "I'm just glad I got here before..." He trails off, either unwilling to say what he was thinking or unsure of what to say. Juliette nods in understanding and says, "I am too."

They simply look at each other for a moment in silence that is close to becoming awkward before Benvolio speaks up, "If you were heading back inside, I can walk with you, if you want."

"Yes, thank you, Benvolio," Juliette replies and links her arm with his. Benvolio looks down at their arms and frowns.

"That bracelet..."

Juliette touches it with her free hand and says, looking at him, "What about it?"

She watches as his face rapidly goes through several different expressions, from confusion to shock to realization. It's then that she remembers that Mercutio had given her the bracelet the night he had the black eye, and how he had mentioned being out with Benvolio that day.

"I was going to ask why Tybalt was here, but I think I know the answer to that now," Benvolio says as they walk, "Mercutio had said something about being the lover of a married woman but I never imagined that the married woman might be you, Juliette."

"Please don't tell Roméo," she begs.

"I probably should tell him, but don't worry, I won't," he says, "But may I ask how long it's been going on?"

"Since Roméo and I's last anniversary. Roméo went upstairs with one of Tybalt's lovers and I suppose you could say I propositioned Mercutio in return."

"Ah," Benvolio says, nodding.

"So Tybalt came to confront me about rumors he'd heard and kissed me out of jealousy, I suppose."

Benvolio nods again and unlinks his arm from hers once they reach the doors leading inside.

"I'll make sure to keep an eye out for Tybalt and tell the other Montagues to do the same," Benvolio says, running his fingers through his curly hair.

"Thank you, Benvolio," Juliette says gratefully, standing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his stubbled cheek before walking to the stairs and heading up to her room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mercutio!"
> 
> Mercutio jumps at the sound of his own name being called out in greeting by someone, having been lost in his own thoughts for once, so unaware of the world around him that Tybalt could've snuck up on him and he would've been none the wiser. He looks over to see Roméo walking towards him, out of the main entrance of the building, his shirt partially undone and a glass of wine in his hand. Quickly forcing a broad smile onto his face, Mercutio exclaims in mock-surprise, "You're back!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, so sorry that it's been so long since my last update of this story!

"Mercutio!"

Mercutio jumps at the sound of his own name being called out in greeting by someone, having been lost in his own thoughts for once, so unaware of the world around him that Tybalt could've snuck up on him and he would've been none the wiser. He looks over to see Roméo walking towards him, out of the main entrance of the building, his shirt partially undone and a glass of wine in his hand. Quickly forcing a broad smile onto his face, Mercutio exclaims in mock-surprise, "You're back!"

"I am!" Roméo says in return before wrapping both arms around Mercutio. Mercutio prays he won't have wine dumped down his back as he returns the hug. Roméo is sturdy and solid and warm and briefly, just briefly, Mercutio lets himself think about what it would be like to come home and have Roméo waiting for him, smiling and embracing him and even kissing him, at the end of each and every day. He pushes those thoughts away somewhat sadly because he knows that everything he just imagined is impossible. Instead, he pulls out of the hug and asks, even though he already knows the answer, "But why did you even leave in the first place?"

"Oh, business, you know," Roméo says with a laugh and then takes a drink of wine. Mercutio nods because he does know and then Roméo is slinging an arm around his shoulders and leading him towards the main entrance, exclaiming, "Well, what're you just standing out here for? My welcoming back party is inside!"

"I'm sorry, Roméo, but I really can't stay for long," Mercutio says, ducking out from under Roméo's arm.

"Why not?" Roméo asks, disappointed.

 _Because I'm going to go see your wife,_ Mercutio thinks.

"Because I'm avoiding my uncle. He's been running me ragged with errand after errand, so I was going to sleep here tonight," Mercutio explains. It's not quite a lie, but it is also far from the truth. He clears his throat and then adds, "Provided that's all right with you."

"Of course it is. Just promise me you'll have one drink before you head up," Roméo says in return.

"I will," Mercutio says and then walks inside with Roméo, following him to the room where all the noise is coming from. The enter and Mercutio is immediately struck by the amount of Montagues present. He can't remember the last time he's seen this many of them gathered together at once. Though he supposes that's because Lady Montague doesn't host as many parties as the Capulets do, so it would make sense for them to jump at the first chance they got to have one. It seems as if Lady Montague, no doubt either too busy or too tired to attend, is the only Montague not here, except for Juliette, of course, but she's not a Montague, not truly. 

Abruptly, Roméo hands him drink and claps him on the back before heading back into the throng of blue-clad bodies. If he weren't in such a rush to go upstairs to Juliette, he'd be right there next to Roméo, in the crowd, dancing and most likely making a fool of himself. Instead, Mercutio searches out Benvolio's familiar face, and upon finding him leaning against the back wall, pushes his way through the crowd until he reaches him.

"Did someone piss in your wine?" Mercutio asks upon seeing the expression resting upon Benvolio's face. He looks troubled, even more troubled than he normally does.

"No," Benvolio replies, simply, looking down at Mercutio as Mercutio joins him in leaning against the wall.

"Then what is it?" Mercutio asks, reaching out and poking Benvolio's arm. Benvolio simply shrugs in response, and Mercutio raises his eyebrows in response before saying, "I thought Roméo was the moody one of us three, but you're making me strongly reconsider that classification."

Benvolio laughs and replies, "No, no, that honor still belongs to him alone. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"You can tell me, you know," Mercutio says, nudging Benvolio. Benvolio swats him gently away and is silent for a moment before replying, "It's nothing, really."

"So you say," Mercutio says in return, taking a drink from his glass and wondering if this has something to do with the girls Benvolio has been seeing, but also knowing that Benvolio probably wouldn't care to tell him if he even dared to ask, especially with how much Mercutio has teased him about the situation.

They stand there for some time longer, drinking and chatting about everything and nothing, before Mercutio downs his drink in one gulp and sets his glass down on a nearby table, figuring that he's spent enough time at the party and can now leave without attracting too much attention. Benvolio looks at his curiously, eyebrows raised in question.

"If Roméo asks about me, though I doubt he will, tell him I'm upstairs, trying to sleep," he tells Benvolio. Benvolio frowns into his own drink before laying a hand on Mercutio's arm and asking, "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Mercutio asks in reply, laughing, patting Benvolio on the shoulder in return before turning and making his way towards the room's exit. Behind him, he can hear Benvolio sigh. He wonders then if Benvolio knows the real reason he's going up the stairs, but he's not sure why he would, and even if he does, he doesn't seem to have told Roméo. Pausing in the doorway, Mercutio glances backwards to see where exactly where Roméo is. He finds Benvolio first, standing where he left him, and then after a moment of more searching, finds Roméo tucked away in a corner, half-hidden by a plant, with a girl's arms wrapped around his neck. 

Mercutio sighs and shakes his head, disappointed but not surprised, before turning and making his way to the staircase. He bounds up the stairs two at a time, heading straight towards Juliette's bedroom. He knocks on the door first before opening it after there's no reply. He knows Roméo is at the party downstairs, celebrating his return to Verona so he doesn't have to worry about him for a little while at least, but there was no sign of Juliette anywhere and there's really only place she could be. 

"Juliette?" He calls out upon finding the bedroom empty.

"I'm in the bathroom," she calls out in reply. He smiles and walks towards the bathroom, fingers working on undoing the belt holding his long jacket shut. He undoes the belt and then opens the door to the bathroom before walking in and shutting it behind him. 

"What are you doing here, away from the party?" Juliette asks, looking at up at him from where she sits in the tub.

"The party was boring and I wanted to see you," he replies, shrugging off his jacket and then beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt. Truth be told, he'd pick her over any party in Verona.

"What about Roméo? He could come up any moment," she says, a worried expression on her face.

"If he does come up, I doubt it will be to your bedroom. Last I saw him, he was in a dark corner with some girl," he says, finishing with the buttons on his shirt, before shrugging that off as well.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Juliette says with a sigh before sitting farther back in the bathtub, watching him as he undresses, a smile passing across her face as she adds, "Well, come on in, then."

Mercutio smiles as he watches her watch him, her brown gaze following every movement of his hands as he undoes his belt and pulls it off before tossing it to the side. He bends to unlace his boots before straightening and kicking them off. Swiftly, he undoes his pants as well, pulling them down and off, and sinking down into the water of the tub, sitting so that his back is opposite to her side of the tub and so that he can look at her. After he dunks his head underwater to wet his hair, of course.

"How was your day?" Juliette asks, her tone somewhat amused, after he sits back up. He pushes his wet hair out of his face, blinking the water out of his eyes and opening them before replying, "Uneventful. My uncle had me running errands again. How about your day?"

"I wish I could say my day was uneventful as well," Juliette says with a sigh.

"How so?"

"Tybalt came for a visit," she begins. Mercutio's heart sinks because judging by the tone of her voice, it wasn't a simple family visit. After a moment, he asks, "What happened?"

"He confronted me about the rumors involving me and you, and I had no choice but to tell him," Juliette replies, looking away from him before continuing, "He was angry, obviously, but less so that I was having an affair than he was that I wasn't having the affair with _him_. He kissed me and I'm afraid to think of what might've happened had Benvolio not shown up then."

She pauses and laughs bitterly before adding, "To think that I've known him all my life and loved him as a brother only to find that this is what he wants of me."

"I'm going to kill him," Mercutio says angrily, moving to stand up. Juliette sighs and says, leaning forward, placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back down, "I'm afraid you'll have to get in line. Benvolio beat you to the whole 'I'll kill you' spiel earlier today."

Mercutio sighs and turns so that his back is to her, leaning back against her and sliding farther into the tub so that he can rest his head against her shoulder as he asks, "I'm guessing Benvolio knows about us now too?"

"Yes," she replies, reaching up and running the fingers of one hand through the wet tangles of his hair while her other hand rests on his stomach, tracing idle patterns into his skin. He leans farther back into her, until he feels the swell of her breasts and the softness of her stomach pressing against his back, and wishes they could stay like this together. Unwittingly, he can feel his cock growing hard from just these simple touches and curses his body for reacting this way, because as much as he'd like to, this is neither the time nor the place. Perhaps at first he'd thought it was, but not now, not after everything he's learned, and not with the possibility, no matter how slight it is, of Roméo coming upstairs.

"However, he said he wouldn't tell anyone," Juliette says. Mercutio can't stop a laugh from escaping him before he replies, "I didn't think he would. Well, at least now I know why Benvolio was acting oddly at the party."

Juliette hums in agreement as her hand trails farther down his stomach, until her hand brushes against his cock. He doesn't dare to breathe, unable to feel any other way than like a boy again, caught in his uncle's kitchens with a half-eaten loaf of bread in his hand.

"Do you want me to do something about this?" Juliette asks, her hand brushing against his cock once more.

 _Yes_ , he thinks.

"No," he says, "It's too risky."

"Then why did you get in here with me?" Juliette asks, confusion clear in her voice. Mercutio chuckles and replies, "I wish I could tell you that not everything I do has a sexual undertone to it, but that'd be a lie. I did come in here with that intention, but now I've reconsidered. Because of Tybalt and because of Roméo and even because of Benvolio, because I'm worried, and because it's too risky."

"I understand," Juliette says, sounding somewhat disappointed before adding, "Tomorrow night, then."

"I promise I'll make you come at least twice to make up for today," he says, sincerely and lasciviously. Juliette laughs in return before saying, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Hopefully you'll be holding me to something else as well, or even better: just holding me," he replies with a laugh. Juliette smacks him on the arm, too lightly to truly hurt, but laughs as well. He sighs in relief when her other hand finally moves away from his cock and thinks of every unappealing scenario he can to try to get his erection to deflate. Eventually, thankfully, after one thought too many of Juliette's nurse, it does. He pulls away from Juliette after that, returning to his original seat, facing her. He smiles and says, "I haven't taken a bath with another person in years. This ought to be interesting."

Juliette laughs and shakes her head, but they do continue with the bath. She even helps him wash his hair, and they both help the other with any other hard to reach spots. After they both get out, Juliette dries herself off while Mercutio heads straight to his clothes, only shaking off slightly before grabbing his pants and pulling them on. It's more than just a bit of a challenge but eventually he manages, only to find Juliette staring at him incredulously.

"You do know how to get dried off, don't you?" She asks, amusement slipping into her voice. He smiles as he replies, "It's more fun this way."

"If you say so," she replies, shaking her head. In truth, he's trying to get dressed as quickly as possible, unable to shake the uneasy feeling he's had since Juliette told him of Tybalt, and unable to shake the feeling that something has changed between himself and Juliette. He turns and gathers the rest of his clothes, pulling on his shirt and buttoning it and redoing his belt before sitting on the floor to pull his boots back on.

"My birthday is coming up next week and my father and mother are going to be throwing a party for it," Juliette suddenly says, pulling her nightgown over her head before turning to look at him and asking, "Will you come?"

"Of course I will," Mercutio replies, standing up and walking to stand in front of her. She smiles and stands on the very tips of her toes in order to press her lips to his. He can't help but smile as well, and returns the kiss tenfold.

"Now go, before Roméo gets back," Juliette says, pulling away from him and shooing him towards the door. Mercutio laughs and bends to kiss her again, his lips only on hers for a few seconds before he turns, picks up his jacket, and opens the bathroom door.

"See you tomorrow, Juliette," he calls over his shoulder.

"Until then, Mercutio," she replies and he doesn't have to look at her to know that she's smiling. The thought causes a pleasant warmth he's all too familiar with to radiate through him and that's when he finally realizes what has changed between him and Juliette as he walks out of the bathroom, out of her bedroom, and into the hallway. He walks to the stairs and sits down on the first step and groans, head in his hands. He's not sure how long he sits there before he hears the footsteps of someone coming up the stairs and looks up to see who it is.

"Good evening, Mercutio. Couldn't get to sleep?" Roméo asks, happy and more than just slightly drunk and smelling strongly of perfume, as he walks past Mercutio and into the room he's lucky enough to get to share with Juliette.

Mercutio simply sighs in return, cursing himself for falling in love with Juliette.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's crowded when Mercutio finally arrives at the party, thirty minutes late and wondering if Lord and Lady Capulet truly managed to invite the entirety of Verona because it honestly seems as if they did, though perhaps that's only due to his lateness.

It's crowded when Mercutio finally arrives at the party, thirty minutes late and wondering if Lord and Lady Capulet truly managed to invite the entirety of Verona because it honestly seems as if they did, though perhaps that's only due to his lateness. He even thinks he can see his uncle, dancing with a pretty girl that has to be closer to Mercutio's age than his own. Mercutio raises his eyebrows at the sight but then continues looking around for Juliette. He even has a present for her, a present that he'd forgotten to wrap with cloth in order to keep it a surprise until the very last minute and then struggled with. 

After several minutes of searching, he finally finds Juliette, who just so happens to be dancing with Roméo. He lets his eyes linger on Juliette for several long moments, struck by how exceptionally beautiful she looks today, before turning his gaze back to the rest of the crowd, searching out other familiar faces among everyone here.

The only person he knows and can't find is Tybalt, whose absence should be a blessing but is really something he can't help but have a bad feeling about. Perhaps it's like the last time, Mercutio thinks to himself, when Tybalt was absent as well, drunk and upstairs with Lady Capulet. Another quick glance around the room shows him that Lady Capulet is dancing with Lord Capulet, and Tybalt is still nowhere to be seen. Mercutio hopes he isn't drunk, because while Tybalt being absent is worrying in and of itself, the possibility of Tybalt being absent, drunk, and alone is a combination Mercutio knows from experience to be a wholly unpleasant and extremely volatile one.

When Mercutio returns his gaze to Juliette, he finds that her eyes have met his over Roméo's shoulder and that she's making a gesture behind Roméo's back for him to meet her off to the side, next to wall. He nods in response before heading that way. Mercutio leans back against the wall and waits, watching for Juliette. Before long, she's joining him by the wall.

"Come with me," Juliette tells him almost as soon as she reaches him, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards one of the doors.

"But what about your present?" Mercutio asks, holding up the wrapped parcel.

"I'll open it later, with the others. For right now, you're my present," Juliette says, quickly, tugging at his hand.

"But what about Roméo?" Mercutio asks, looking around at the crowd once more.

"I told him his mother was looking for him. Now hurry, before he figures out that she's not," Juliette replies, tugging at his hand again.

"Fine, fine," Mercutio says with a laugh before adding, "Your present would like a dance when we return inside."

"And so you'll get one," Juliette says, meeting his smile with one of his own and then they're walking, passing around everyone gathered here and then out the doors to the gardens, though Mercutio does pause to toss his present onto a table with the other presents. They stop once they're far enough away from the doors to not be seen, surrounded by red roses, and Juliette is looking up at him, eyes soft and smile wide.

"Happy birthday, Juliette," he says, and presses his lips to hers.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Mercutio's eyes fly open and Juliette jumps and pulls away from him as he himself turns to see who has come into the gardens now.

"Tybalt," she says, an edge of caution entering her voice as she stands on her toes to peer over Mercutio's shoulder. Tybalt is drunk and obviously so, Mercutio notes, taking in the nearly empty bottle of wine in his hand and the way he can't seem to walk in a straight line.

"Go back inside. You're drunk, Tybalt," Juliette says, having noticed the same thing, caution coloring her voice. Tybalt shrugs and steps towards them, swaying slightly, before warning, "Drunk or not, I'm not leaving. You should leave us, Juliette, go back to the party while he and I settle this."

"Tybalt," Juliette begins again, angrily, before Mercutio interrupts, "Your cousin has a point. It's best that you go back inside."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Juliette says, her brown eyes meeting his. Mercutio tucks a stray lock of blonde hair behind one of her ears before saying, "Find Roméo and Benvolio. Bring them out here, quickly."

Juliette nods before turning and darting quickly as she can through the trees and flowers in the garden.

"You have no right to touch her," Tybalt says, angrily, his words slurring just slightly.

"And neither do you," Mercutio says in return, stepping closer to Tybalt, gaze flicking over Tybalt's form. There are knives on either side of his hips and Mercutio knows that if he can get his hands on at least one of the knives, he can at least hold Tybalt off until Juliette returns with Roméo and Benvolio. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to charge straight into the fight, but he doesn't find himself in the mood to die just yet. He takes a small step backwards, still considering his options, and asks, "What are you doing here, Tybalt?"

"I'm here to kill you, Mercutio," Tybalt replies.

"Roméo's been fucking one of your girls. Are you going to kill him too?"

Tybalt pauses mid-step, quickly having to catch himself from stumbling, thinking for a moment before saying, "Yes, but not for that. I've wanted to kill him since I found out he married Juliette, and even more since I first learned of his infidelity."

"So is there anyone involved in this that makes it out alive?" Mercutio asks, his gaze flicking down to the knives and then back up to Tybalt's face.

"Me," Tybalt says, grinning broadly before continuing, "And Juliette, of course."

Mercutio thinks he can hear something and turns his head to see if it's Juliette returning with Roméo and Benvolio. There's no sign of any of them and before he even has time to react, Tybalt is slamming into him, knocking him to the ground. Tybalt plants one foot on either side of his hips before lowering himself low enough to straddle Mercutio. Mercutio trails one hand down the front of Tybalt's shirt, stopping just where it's tucked into the waistband of his pants before swiftly darting lower as Mercutio asks, smiling suggestively, "My, my. Is that your dagger or are you just happy to see me?"

"I should've known you had Florentine tastes," Tybalt says, swatting Mercutio's hand away.

Mercutio laughs and replies, "Better to have Florentine tastes than to lust for my own kin. I have done many things and people, but never once have I felt more than just stirrings of brotherly affection for Paris, and barely even that."

"Paris is Paris and Juliette is Juliette," Tybalt replies, pointedly.

"That's fair. Your dear cousin is much more beautiful than mine, after all," Mercutio replies, laughing. Tybalt flares down at him, his hands going to Mercutio's neck, circling around it, squeezing but not hard enough to really do anything. With Tybalt this close to him, the smell of wine is overpowering, as if Tybalt had deigned to bathe in it and even dye his clothes in it. Mercutio makes a gagging sound before asking, "Good god, man. Did you drink the entire contents of the Capulet wine cellar?" 

"Please, for fuck's sake, shut up. You're giving me a headache," Tybalt grumbles, his hand tightening on Mercutio's throat. Despite the trouble he's having breathing, Mercutio still manages to wheeze out, "Are you sure it's not from swimming in the wine?"

Tybalt's hold on him tightens even farther and Mercutio knows that it'll be over for him soon if he doesn't do something now. So he does something, using what strength he has left to pull one of the knives from Tybalt's belt and raise it, point first, to Tybalt's throat. The effect this act causes is instantaneous, as Tybalt releases his grip on Mercutio's neck and falls back before catching himself and standing. Mercutio gasps, gulping in air, before standing as well.

"You bastard," Tybalt hisses out, glaring daggers, and Mercutio laughs before wincing. After a moment, he manages to say, internally cringing at how hoarse his voice sounds, "I suppose you weren't happy to see me after all."

It truly is a nice knife, Mercutio thinks, looking down at the artfully carved handle and shiny blade. When he looks up, Tybalt has drawn the twin of the knife Mercutio is holding, and then he and Tybalt begin circling one another, Mercutio trying to find the best way to defend himself and Tybalt trying to find the best way to keep Mercutio from defending himself. If not for Juliette and the fact that Mercutio isn't in a hurry to add a knife to the list of things that have been inside of him, he knows he would be on the offense instead of the defense. Tybalt lunges towards him and Mercutio steps away. They repeat this for how long Mercutio isn't sure, though long enough for him to reflect almost bitterly and partly darkly but mostly amusedly that the Capulet he was supposed to be dancing with was Juliette, and not her stab-happy cousin.

Suddenly, breaking free of their strange dance, Tybalt all but tackles him and Mercutio struggles against him in an attempt to not fall, cursing how much taller Tybalt is than him, but thankfully manages to stay on his feet, though not before Tybalt has knocked the knife out of his hand. Mercutio dives for it, but he's too slow and Tybalt is pushing him back up and then Tybalt's knife is sinking into his side.

Mercutio gasps, hands flying up to grasp at the knife before Tybalt pulls it out of him and punches him in the face. Mercutio stumbles back and then he blinks and wonders if he's dying because he swears he can see an angel, before realizing that Juliette has finally arrived with Roméo and Benvolio. 

"Mercutio!" Roméo and Juliette exclaim at the same time while Benvolio wrestles the knife away from Tybalt.

"I love you, Juliette," he manages to say, looking up at her, before falling to the ground, clutching at his side.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is dark when Mercutio wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before the epilogue!

It is dark when Mercutio wakes up. The last thing he can remember is being stabbed and then punched by Tybalt and briefly wonders if he's dead before realizing that he's in a bed. He begins to get out of bed only to be stopped by the pain radiating from his side, the throbbing pain in his head, and the hand pushing him back. Mercutio looks up, gaze traveling from the hand, up the arm it's attached to, and then up to the person's face.

"I'm sorry it's so dark in here. Give me a few moments and I'll have some candles lit," Roméo says, his eyes meeting Mercutio's through the darkness of the room. Mercutio nods, slowly, eyes beginning to adjust to the dimness of the room as Roméo does what he said he was going to do, and lights several candles around the room. Before long, it's brighter in the room, though far dimmer than it would be in daylight.

"How are you feeling?" Roméo asks as he sits back down in the chair next to the bed.

"Like I got stabbed," Mercutio manages to reply after a moment. Roméo chuckles before asking, "And how is your head? You hit it pretty hard when you fell down after Tybalt punched you."

"It hurts," Mercutio admits before asking, "How long was I out for?"

"Just a few hours. The doctors the Prince called in think you'll be fine. Tybalt somehow managed to miss anything important when he stabbed you," Roméo says.

"Well, not if you count my dignity," Mercutio replies with a sigh. Roméo's lips quirk up in a smile before he says,"Benvolio told me to tell you that he says, and I quote, 'I told you so.'"

"Of course he did," Mercutio says, laughing and then wincing at the pain that shoots through him, "He always did warn me that Tybalt was probably going to stab me one day."

Roméo chuckles and then draws silent. Mercutio looks over at him, eyebrows raised.

"About what you said earlier..." Roméo begins, "That you love Juliette."

"Oh, that," Mercutio says, wondering briefly if Roméo would believe that he's spontaneously managed to consider Juliette as close as a sister before deciding that not even Roméo would believe that. Now it's Roméo's turn to look at him with upraised eyebrows as he says, "Yes, that. Why do you love my wife?"

_Because you don't seem to_ , Mercutio thinks, _because she is beautiful and kind and deserves to be loved._

"Because she and I have been seeing one another," Mercutio says after a moment of contemplation.

"How long?" Roméo asks, jaw clenching as he looks away.

"Since the night of your last anniversary. She and I watched you dance with Tybalt's girl and then go upstairs with her, and then we went out to the gardens and she asked me to begin an affair with her," Mercutio replies.

"Why did you agree to it?" Roméo asks, looking back at him. Mercutio sits up in the bed, hand pressed to the bandages on his side, and looks at Roméo, dark haired and blue eyed and boyishly handsome and says, "Originally, partly because of her beauty and partly because I was in love with you and being with her was the closest I could get to being with you. And then somewhere along the line I fell in love with her."

Shock registers on Roméo's face for a moment before he nods and asks, "How come you never told me you loved me?"

Mercutio laughs bitterly and replies, "So you could reject me? Tell me, Roméo, have you ever loved me as more than a friend?"

Roméo shakes his head and says, "I loved and still love you and Benvolio like the brothers I never had."

"There's your answer," Mercutio says, laying back down on the bed. Roméo looks like he's about to say something else when the door swings open and Juliette steps inside.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asks, looking between Mercutio and Roméo before settling her gaze on Mercutio.

"No," Roméo replies, standing up, "What's going to happen to Tybalt?"

"The Prince has decided to temporarily exile him from Verona. I'm not sure where he's going or how long he's going to be there, but my mother said something about Mantua," Juliette replies, her eyes never leaving Mercutio.

"And me?" Mercutio asks, "Am I to be exiled as well for fighting Tybalt?"

"The Prince decided that because Tybalt was the only one to spill blood, so to speak, that only Tybalt would be exiled."

Mercutio nods. Roméo looks at Juliette and then at Mercutio and then back to Juliette before sighing and saying, "Will you speak with me outside, Juliette?"

Juliette nods and walks back out the door. With a final glance back at Mercutio, Roméo stands up and follows her out.

"Do you love him, Juliette?" Roméo asks as soon as the door shuts.

"Yes," Juliette admits, "But I never meant to fall in love with him. You were the only one I ever wanted to love, but you kept sleeping with other women and I was angry. So I went up to him at our last anniversary party and then things spiraled out of control from there."

"I'm sorry, Juliette, for not being a more faithful husband to you," Roméo says. Juliette smiles sadly and says, "You've said that many times before, Roméo. You and I both know you won't change, and I'm not asking you to. Marrying you brought peace to the city and that makes me happy enough."

Roméo nods and says, "I will turn a blind eye to your relationship with Mercutio so long as you do the same to any indiscretions I may have." Juliette nods and Roméo continues, "And if you happen to have a child at some point in the future that doesn't resemble me, I will turn a blind eye to that too."

"Thank you," Juliette says. Roméo walks forward until he's standing in front of Juliette. He brushes her cheek with his fingers and says, "I'll always love you, Juliette."

"And I you, Roméo," she says in return. 

Mercutio looks up when the door opens and Juliette walks in, alone.

"Well? What'd Roméo say?" Mercutio asks. Juliette simply walks over to the bed and kisses him before pulling away and saying, "I love you too."


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercutio can remember one of the first times he was here, almost twelve years ago. It was a party much like the one going on right now, and the only reason he had been invited was because his uncle had been unable to attend. He's not entirely sure what the occasion for that one was, only that it was where Roméo met Juliette, but today is the tenth birthday of Maria Montague, the tenth birthday of the granddaughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, the tenth birthday of Juliette's oldest daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has read and hopefully enjoyed this story. Is it the best thing I've ever written? No. I know it's not, but at the same time it's still very important to me because without it, I wouldn't have written half of the things I've written since I began writing this story, a year and a half ago, long before I even posted the first chapter. Once more, thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy this final chapter as well.
> 
>    
> Now, onwards to the story!

Mercutio can remember one of the first times he was here, almost twelve years ago. It was a party much like the one going on right now, and the only reason he had been invited was because his uncle had been unable to attend. He's not entirely sure what the occasion for that one was, only that it was where Roméo met Juliette, but today is the tenth birthday of Maria Montague, the tenth birthday of the granddaughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, the tenth birthday of Juliette's oldest daughter. 

However, when he steps inside, all he can think of is Roméo and Juliette's first anniversary party. Benvolio is dancing with his wife, a Capulet girl and a distant cousin of Juliette's. Unlike the anniversary party, Roméo is not dancing, instead talking with his mother and Juliette's parents. He looks around for Juliette, and smiles when her eyes meet his from across the room. She's standing in what looks like the same spot she was during the anniversary party and he makes his way over to her.

"Mercutio," Juliette says in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Juliette," he says in return, "Enjoying the party?"

"Yes, except for that fact that Maria has been waiting so anxiously for your arrival that she's been asking me where you are every minute or so," Juliette says with a pointed glance at him. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly before replying, "Well, I'm here now. I would have been here sooner but my uncle had me run an errand first. Where is the birthday girl now?" 

Mercutio looks around the room to try to see if he can see her, but can't find a glimpse of Maria anywhere.

"She went out in the gardens with my nurse and her siblings, but I expect she'll be back inside soon to ask me if you're here yet," Juliette says, and he nods.

"I just can't believe she's ten already," Juliette says after a moment, looking at him.

"Neither can I," Mercutio admits quietly before asking, "Perhaps we should just join the children in the gardens instead of waiting for Maria to come back inside?"

Juliette thinks for a minute and then nods, saying, "Yes, I think that's a good idea. Perhaps the only good idea you've ever had."

"You wound me," he says with a laugh and offers her his arm, his mind flashing back to the first time this happened, when she was half-drunk and angry at Roméo and he was also half-drunk and angry at Roméo. She takes his arm and he knows by her smile that she's thinking of the same thing he is and everything that led from that one fateful trip into the gardens. His mind then goes to the second time they were walking out to the gardens together, on her birthday and on the day Tybalt stabbed him. The scar has yet to fade, though Mercutio isn't worried about gaining a second to match it because Tybalt has yet to return to Verona, despite the fact that the Prince had said that he could almost seven years ago. They don't have to venture very far into the gardens, because he can see the Nurse and the three children almost as soon as they enter the gardens. Juliette unlinks her arm from his and calls out, "Look who's finally here!"

The Nurse and all three children look up at him, all smiling, only the children smile in happiness while the Nurse smiles in exasperation.

"Uncle Mercutio!" Maria exclaims, jumping up from her spot and running towards him with her arms spread wide while Juliette walks over to where the other two children are with her nurse. He catches her and spins her around before setting her back down and looking at her, at the girl who he can't actually call his daughter even though she is. She looks more like Juliette in the face and brown eyes, but her wild brown curls are undeniably his. She's taller than he remembers as well, and he doesn't doubt the possibility that she'll grow to be taller than both him and Juliette.

"Happy birthday, Maria," he says, smiling.

"Do you have anything for me?" She asks, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. He laughs and says, "Perhaps."

"Oh, please, Uncle Mercutio! Father hasn't let me see any of my other gifts yet," she all but pleads. A stab of jealousy flashes through him at the fact that Roméo gets to be her father and he doesn't, but he quickly pushes that aside as he digs around inside of his jacket for her gift.

"Close your eyes and hold up your arm," Mercutio says and Maria nods and does so. He pulls a bracelet out of the inside of his jacket, a bracelet nearly identical to the one he gave to Juliette so many years ago, and fastens it securely around Maria's small wrist.

"Open your eyes," he says, and she does, looking down at the bracelet, a wide smile breaking out across her face.

"Thank you!" She exclaims, throwing her arms around him. He hugs her for a moment and then lets her go.

"You're welcome," Mercutio says, smiling as well.

"Mama, look! We match now!" Maria says, running over to where Juliette and the Nurse are. As soon as she leaves him, the other two children take her place in front of him. One is Francesca, eight years old and who looks like a younger version of Juliette except with curlier hair and hazel eyes, and the other is Clement, only five and dark haired and blue eyed, the only one of Juliette's children to be fathered by Roméo and only because Roméo had begged Juliette to be able to be the blood father of at least one of his children.

"Do you have anything for us, Uncle Mercutio?" Francesca asks, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I do, or at least I will," Mercutio replies, reaching inside of his long jacket, "But you'll have to tell me what it is you want first."

"I want a bracelet like that too," Francesca says.

"And so you'll have it," Mercutio says before looking at the boy and asking, "What about you, Clement? Would you like a bracelet too?"

Clement thinks for a moment, dark brows furrowed together, before saying,"No. I want a cat."

"Well, I'll have to talk to your parents about that first, but I'll see what I can do," Mercutio replies, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. "You'll both get what you want, but not today. You'll have to wait until your own birthdays."

They both groan in disappointment and Mercutio chuckles before finally finding what he was searching for in his jacket, pulling out two pieces of candy and saying, "But for now, you both get a piece of candy."

Both children perk up at the mention of candy, holding their hands out eagerly. He laughs in earnest this time, dropping the candy into their eager hands. In no time at all, they have the candies unwrapped and in their mouths.

"Thank you, Uncle Mercutio," Francesca says around the piece of candy. Clement echoes her thanks and he pats them both on the tops of their heads.

"Back to your mother," the Nurse, coming up behind them and shooing them off in the direction of Juliette and Maria. They go and then Juliette's old Nurse turns to him and says, "Please tell me you only gave them one piece each. God knows they're wild enough without the added sugar." 

She always looks at him in a way that tells him that she knows that Maria and Francesca aren't actually Roméo's children, but he knows she loves Juliette too much to actually bring that fact to light, so the very real possibility of her knowing the truth doesn't particularly bother him.

"What sort of man do you take me for, Nurse?" he asks in return, feigning hurt and then smiling.

"I still don't trust that smile," she says and he laughs.

"Even after all of these years? My God, Nurse, we're all just flesh and blood," he says and she laughs, one of her eyes twitching slightly, reaching out to pat him on the arm. In that moment, Benvolio pokes his head out of the door leading to the gardens and calls out, "It's time for the cake!"

The children all but run for the door while the Nurse sighs and follows them much more slowly. Mercutio laughs to himself and begins to walk towards the door as well. Juliette falls into step beside him and he looks at her, smiling.

"What do you say to perhaps having another child?" He asks quietly, thinking about Maria and Francesca and even Clement. She answers, quietly enough that only he can hear it, a small smile playing at her lips, "Perhaps. See you later tonight?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Mercutio replies, smile widening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, just for fun, here's the complete list of the ways I've managed to misspell Mercutio's name during the process of writing this fic: Metcutoo, Met ut, Mercuto, Mercuti, Mercurio, Mercurii, Mervutio, Meexuto, Merchtik, Merchti, Nercutio, Netcutio, Mercutuo, Mercytio, Mexuxio, Merxuxio, Meecurio, Meecutio, Mercuxio, Mexutoo, Mercutoo, Met uti, Mwrxyrui, Nurcuruo, Merxuxui, Mercirio, Metcirio, Mercyrio, Mrscutio, Mrscutioo, Meexutio, Merxurio, Mercutioxl, Mexitio, Merxutio, Mexutio, Mercitio, Mercitoo, and Mercutip.


End file.
